Road to lifting the cup

Switzerland are the U19 European Champions 2026 after a dominant weekend of skater hockey in Ternitz, Austria, capping three days of high-scoring, high-drama action with gold on home... well, near-home soil, edging out hosts Austria, Germany and Great Britain across a compact but relentless schedule.

The tournament opened on Friday with Switzerland announcing themselves in brutal fashion, thrashing host nation Austria 13-0, while Germany got their campaign underway with a 5-1 win over Great Britain. Germany continued to look untouchable through Day One, adding a 10-1 win over Austria and closing the day with a 6-1 statement victory over Switzerland — the only blemish on an otherwise perfect group stage for the eventual runners-up. Switzerland answered in kind, running up a 12-2 scoreline against Great Britain, while Austria and GB shared a rare moment of parity in a 5-5 draw.

Day Two only reinforced the gap at the top. Switzerland dispatched Austria 9-0, Germany put eleven past Great Britain, and Austria suffered a second heavy defeat to Germany, 12-1. Great Britain and Austria met again late in the day, sharing another five-goal draw, before the group's defining moment arrived in the final match: Switzerland avenged their Day One defeat, beating Germany 4-2. It wasn't enough to overhaul Germany at the top of the table, though — the two sides finished level on points, with Germany edging first place by a single goal in the goal-difference column (+37 to +36).

Sunday's semi-finals were formalities on the scoreboard if not in spirit. Switzerland eased past Great Britain 12-0, while Germany saw off host nation Austria 12-1, setting up a rematch of the group stage's headline fixture for gold. In the bronze medal match, Great Britain and Austria produced the tournament's tightest contest, with Austria edging a five-goal thriller 6-5 to send the home crowd into raptures with a medal of their own.

That set the stage for a gold medal final between two sides who had split their head-to-head meetings during the group stage. 

The two strongest teams in the tournament had fought their way to the final: Switzerland and Germany, who’d already traded blows once in the group stage, splitting the points between them. Now, with gold on the line, the heavyweights met again.

Switzerland tore Germany apart 8-1, and the way they did it was even more brutal than the final score suggests.

Three 15-minute periods gave both sides the chance to impose their game plan. Switzerland struck first, ripping out to a blistering 4-0 lead before Germany had even settled. Germany hit back with a goal to make it 4-1, but rather than rattling the Swiss, it lit a fire under them. Within minutes they’d added two more, and from there the game was theirs. As the game wore on, Switzerland took full control, dictating the pace and playing entirely on their own terms. They closed it out in style, running out 8-1 winners.

All Star Team

Final Placements